Morsi prison break trial postponed a second time

CSF secure the Police Academy where the trial of former President Mohamed Morsi in the “Wadi Al-Natroun prison break” is taking place(Photo by Ahmed Al Malky )

Deposed president Mohamed Morsi’s trial for escaping from prison in 2011 has been moved from Saturday to Monday.

Originally scheduled for 28 January, the trial has now been postponed for a second time, according to state-run Al-Ahram.

In court Morsi urged his supporters to press on with their “peaceful revolution”, according to AFP, contradicting earlier reports in the Egyptian press that Morsi had called continued protests futile.

Morsi is facing trial along with 130 other defendants, including many prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders, for escaping from Wadi El-Natrun Prison on 28 January 2011, during the opening days of the 25 January Revolution. The charges relating to the prison break include damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder, attempted murder, and looting prison weapons depots.

The indicted are also accused of freeing “dangerous criminals” including members of Hezbollah, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and jihadists, reported state-run Ahram.

According to the prosecutions’ investigations, the prison break occurred when 800 foreigners affiliated with Hamas and Hezbollah infiltrated Egypt through tunnels with heavy armaments, RPGs and mortars, which they used against police and governmental installations in the eastern border area and killed several policemen.

They later moved in three groups to attack Wadi El-Natrun Prison in Beheira Governorate and Abou Zaabal and Al-Marg prisons in Cairo, according to the prosecution, which they successfully broke into, killed over 50 policemen and prisoners, and freed their fellow members and 20,000 prisoners. They also vandalised and stole police equipment, cars and arms and kidnapped four policemen.

Morsi is also the co-defendant in three other trials: inciting the killing of protestors during deadly clashes outside the presidential palace in December 2012, insulting the judiciary, and for espionage for working with foreign Islamist groups to create chaos in Egypt.

The espionage court is scheduled to resume on Sunday, after being postponed on 16 February. It will be the third time Morsi will have appeared before a court in three days.

Morsi has been in custody since being ousted by the military on 3 July. Until his first appearance in court on 4 November, his place of detention was unknown.